Greg's Meats

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Dakota-Scott Workforce Investment Board recognizes president of Inver Hills Community College

Tim Wynes, Rosemount, received the Mark McAfee Friend of Workforce Development Awardat the Dakota-Scott Workforce Investment Board's (WIB) annual legislative and awards event Dec. 13 at the Eagan Community Center.

The award is named after Mark McAfee, a former Workforce Investment Board member who died in 2010. McAfee focused on helping people attain the skills and training they need to become self-sufficient. The award is presented to an individual who has championed workforce issues at the local, state or federal level.

In 2010, Wynes became president of Inver Hills Community College (IHCC) in Inver Grove Heights and, since July 2013, has also been serving as interim president at Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) in Rosemount. From 2002–2010, he served as chancellor of the Iowa Valley Community College District.

Wynes was instrumental in the development of the joint WorkForce Center and South of the River Education Center in Burnsville. Through his leadership, IHCC classes are now offered in the evenings at the new Burnsville WorkForce Center, giving residents of western Dakota and eastern Scott counties convenient access to higher education in a classroom setting. Furthermore, as a direct result of his vision, Metropolitan State University will also be a partner in the WorkForce Center in 2014.

Wynes's leadership of the colleges is marked by his focus on how to best serve the community, including students and employers. During his tenure, the college has expanded its course offerings into cybersecurity and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); combined the DCTC and IHCC customized training programs to provide a more aligned approach when working with employers; and initiated innovative partnerships with area K-12 school districts. Additionally, IHCC was recently ranked No. 3 in the nation for two-year colleges on the Military Times "Best for Vets Colleges" 2014 rankings.